Draft-timber fastener



(No Model.)

\7V.'W.PRU1 JTT. DRAFT TIMBER FASTENER.

N0. 600,931. Patented Mar. 22,1898.

' ammbozt William WPruefi,

engines.

Nirnn WILLIAM W. PRUETT, OEEFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-TIM BER FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,931, dated March 22, 1898. Application filed January 24:, 1898. Serial No. 667,809. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. PRUETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Effingham, in the county of Effingham and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Timber Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to draft-timber fasteners more particularly designed for fastening the draft-timbers to railway cars or The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the draft-timber bolts heretofore employed are dispensed with, thus strengthening he draft timbers through which the bolts usually extended.

A further object is to provide means whereby one or more draft-timbers can be applied to a car without shifting the lading or digging down through the same in order to get at the draft-bolts to remove them, which is an objection to the form of fastening now generally used; and the final object is to provide a simple and inexpensive fastening whereby the parts may be more quickly and easily adjusted, and when secured in position increased rigidity of parts is attained.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the two center sills, the end sill, and two draft-timbers of an ordinary railroad-car, showing the timbers held to the sills by my improved fastenings; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View.

In said drawings, 1 denotes the end sill, 2 denotes the center sills, and 3 denotes the draft-timbers. These parts may be of any well-known or approved construction. The end sill is secured to the center sill in any well-known manner. The meeting faces of the center sills and the draft-timbers are provided with angular recesses, in which are located pins, one having an angular cross-section corresponding to the combined area of the registering recesses. This construction locks the draft-timbers to the center sills against longitudinal movement, and to hold the draft-timbers in place against vertical movement I provide straps 4, the upper ends of which are bent laterally, as shown at 5, and seated in recesses 6 in the upper sides of the center sills. The lower ends are rounded and formed with screw-threads and are connected together by clip-plates 7, which extend transversely across the under face of the draft-timbers and are seated in recesses 8,

formed on the under side of said draft-timbers. Nuts 9 are screwed upon the ends of these straps and hold the clip-plates in position. These straps and clip-plates are preferably arranged as shown-that is to say, they are slanted in opposite directions, so as to resist the shocks at either end of the car. They are also so arranged that they extend over a portion of the ends of the transverse pins and prevent any lateral displacement of said pins. The center straps are connected by a clip-plate that extends entirely across the space between the draft-timbers and serve as a carrier for the draw-bar. All of the straps have their upper ends held in recesses by asmall transverse bolt, so as to prevent the' spreading of the upper ends of said strap.

If the draft-timber breaks, all that is necessary is to disconnect the straps from beneath the car, remove the draft-timber and replace it with a new one, and then engage the straps with the center sills. This may be done without disturbing the lading of the car and may be done much more easily than with the present mode of draft-timber fastenings.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the center sills and draft-timbers formed with registering recesses in their meeting faces, transverse pins located in said recesses to prevent the longitudinal movement of one of the draft-timbers with respect to the center sills, and straps embracing the center sills and draft-timbers and covering a portion of the ends of said pins to prevent the accidental displacement of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the center sills and the draft-timbers having angular registering recesses in their meeting faces, pins inserted in said recesses and corresponding in cross-section to the area of the recesses, straps having angular ends that are seated in recesses formed in the upper faces of the center sills, bolts passing through the upper ends of said timbers, clip-plates connecting the lower ends of said straps and seated in recesses formed in the under face of said draft-timbers, and bolts secured upon the lower ends 15 of said straps to hold the clips in place, said straps covering a portion of the ends of said pins to prevent displacement of the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 20 my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- DGSSGS.

WILLIAM W. PRUETT. Witnesses:

C. R. J AMES, IRA PENDLAY. 

